Struggling!

fatandforty
fatandforty Registered Posts: 553 Epic contributor ๐Ÿ˜
Is anyone else finding intermediate much harder than foundation? I am struggling to understand anything this year and feel very despondent.

Comments

  • Toffeemadblue
    Toffeemadblue Registered Posts: 102 Dedicated contributor ๐Ÿฆ‰
    It is a lot harder in terms of academic level, but last year the whole Debits/credits thing took ages to sink in. I suppose I expected it to be tricky because so many posters on this forum said that it was a step up. We are just working on Unit 5 taking it in December so it feels very concentrated. WHat are you struggling with is there any help you need?
  • fatandforty
    fatandforty Registered Posts: 553 Epic contributor ๐Ÿ˜
    We are doing unit 5 to take in December too. I just feel that last year we had much more time on everything. Lots of repetition until it had really sunk in. I feel we are just rushing through each bit and moving on too quickly. I know we have to as time is of the essence. Am particularly finding it hard to remember where to post everything on prepayments and accruals and provision for bad debts. Wish they wouldn't assume there would be bad debts! So much easier to just post it when it def is a bad debt!!
  • jewels.p
    jewels.p Registered Posts: 1,774 Beyond epic contributor ๐Ÿง™โ€โ™‚๏ธ
    We are doing unit 5 to take in December too. I just feel that last year we had much more time on everything. Lots of repetition until it had really sunk in. I feel we are just rushing through each bit and moving on too quickly. I know we have to as time is of the essence. Am particularly finding it hard to remember where to post everything on prepayments and accruals and provision for bad debts. Wish they wouldn't assume there would be bad debts! So much easier to just post it when it def is a bad debt!!

    Have you done your ECR? I did FRA in June and am finding Advanced a lot harder than Certificate Level. I am doing ECR in December and am studying Distance Learning and am finding there's a lot more to cram in. Like you said there seemed to be a lot more time to learn stuff last year.
    To be honest I am finding ECR harder than FRA as I I feel like I have less time and am finding it harder to digest.
  • steveJ
    steveJ Registered Posts: 694 Epic contributor ๐Ÿ˜
    I'm studying by distance learning aswell and really struggled with FRA incomplete records, but finally done it now. I'm going for the december exam aswell and time is running out. I like to go over previous papers so gotta really cram in the studying to get some time for revision.

    I've found the intermediate quite a big step up in certain sections, but I think most of it is sinking in now.

    Anyone struggliing with the osbourne I suggest getting Frank Woods Business accounting 1+2 it gives a different point of view on things which really helped.


    Keep it up !!
  • keane155
    keane155 Registered Posts: 404 Dedicated contributor ๐Ÿฆ‰
    I'm finding that ntermediate is a lot harder than last year. Trying to practice absorption tonight but it isn't going in. I can't believe we are doing the ECR exam next month - I'm dreading it so much, the past papers look really scary!!!
  • john.carter14
    john.carter14 Registered Posts: 22 New contributor ๐Ÿธ
    Problem with us is that our tutor gives us tests from Kaplan books on stuff we haven't touched on
  • AK002
    AK002 Registered Posts: 2,492 Beyond epic contributor ๐Ÿง™โ€โ™‚๏ธ
    I managed fine with FRA, but i think working in Practice for 3 years helped.

    ECR i thought i struggled with but every skills test etc i did was pretty much right.. so, even if you think you're struggling (like i did) maybe it's not all that bad!

    PEV & PCR however :(
  • fatandforty
    fatandforty Registered Posts: 553 Epic contributor ๐Ÿ˜
    AK002 wrote: ยป
    I managed fine with FRA, but i think working in Practice for 3 years helped.

    ECR i thought i struggled with but every skills test etc i did was pretty much right.. so, even if you think you're struggling (like i did) maybe it's not all that bad!

    PEV & PCR however :(

    Please don't tell me it gets even worse!
  • lisnic
    lisnic Registered Posts: 141 Dedicated contributor ๐Ÿฆ‰
    im slightly confused by your post?

    yes intermediate/advanced is harder than certificate that is why it is the next level up - certificate is about getting the basics which are required throughout which is why there is repetition.

    again diploma/technician is harder than intermediate/advanced

    its the natural progression of the course

    i found with unit 5 and 6 doing all the questions and all the past papers gives you lots of practice
  • AK002
    AK002 Registered Posts: 2,492 Beyond epic contributor ๐Ÿง™โ€โ™‚๏ธ
    Please don't tell me it gets even worse!

    It doesn't get any worse...


    ^^ If i said that, i'd be lying!
  • Beautiful_bobo
    Beautiful_bobo Registered Posts: 106 Dedicated contributor ๐Ÿฆ‰
    Struggling!

    Hi

    I am too finding the intermediate difficult, I knew it was going to be tougher than the foundation and I have to put the extra work in. Yep I quite agree practice makes perfect but when you are bogged down with homework, when do you have time to redo extra exercises. I found doing the T accounts on depreciation, the hardest and I will need go back and do more exercises on these. Also our teacher who is quite good but when she covers a topic we then have to do the exercises and I find that before we have finished she has moved on to another subject.

    Maybe we can help each other out here as we are in the same boat? Just a thought.

    I am happy to help anyone if I can or if I can ask someone by pm or email that that would also be nice.

    :)
  • Ilse
    Ilse Registered Posts: 7 New contributor ๐Ÿธ
    i too found the T accounts in depreciation a nightmare, i kept getting lost. i got there in the end but it took a while. i will have to go over that again, but i seem to be lacking motivation at the moment.
  • A-Vic
    A-Vic Registered Posts: 6,970 Beyond epic contributor ๐Ÿง™โ€โ™‚๏ธ
    I will advise learn depriciation now will make life a lot easier the next year
  • steveJ
    steveJ Registered Posts: 694 Epic contributor ๐Ÿ˜
    Im just getting to chapter 14 in the osbourne book-partnerships. I was stuck for a while on depreciation, provision for depreciation etc....and then most recently really struggling with incomplete records...what a killer! So now feel like I'm a bit behind for the December FRA exam as I wanted to go over all the past papers and book exercises again. I may just take both FRA and ECR next June!!!

    I finally landed a job in an accountancy environment so not in much rush now...

    Is the FRA available by CBE yet ?
  • AK002
    AK002 Registered Posts: 2,492 Beyond epic contributor ๐Ÿง™โ€โ™‚๏ธ
    steveJ wrote: ยป
    Is the FRA available by CBE yet ?

    Yes.

    Incomplete records shouldn't be too hard if you are confident with which side entrys are placed on.
  • fatandforty
    fatandforty Registered Posts: 553 Epic contributor ๐Ÿ˜
    lisnic wrote: ยป
    im slightly confused by your post?

    yes intermediate/advanced is harder than certificate that is why it is the next level up - certificate is about getting the basics which are required throughout which is why there is repetition.

    again diploma/technician is harder than intermediate/advanced

    its the natural progression of the course

    i found with unit 5 and 6 doing all the questions and all the past papers gives you lots of practice

    What was confusing about my post? Everybody else seemed to understand where I'm coming from. I realise it's the next level up but I was kind of assuming that it would be relative and considering I have already done 2 years of studying it would be a natural progression rather than a complete struggle!!

    I would love to get on with practicing past papers but unfortunately my computer won't let me open them!!
  • annefreeman
    annefreeman Registered Posts: 21 New contributor ๐Ÿธ
    I've gone straight in on level 3 (so haven't done the foundation level). I've been lucky as I run my own business anyway, so had some basic understanding of things. I've found that some things like depreciation/bad debts/disposals/accruals etc make a lot of sense to me and I don't struggle with these, but I'm doing a lot of cramming on the point of main ledger control accounts. I'd have thought the intermediate level would be harder than the foundation level as it's a step up, and looking at my fellow students' faces (who all did level 2 last year) that would be right - but I've also heard some of them say that some aspects are seriously harder than they thought it would be. Just my humble thoughts.
  • blobbyh
    blobbyh Registered Posts: 2,415 Beyond epic contributor ๐Ÿง™โ€โ™‚๏ธ
    I guess this identifies the pros and cons of having done Foundation before Intermediate. When I did the course, those who'd done Foundation were more "out-of-the-box" against those who went straight in at Intermediate, as they were already in a learning groove: however, Foundation also gave them a false sense of security as nothing would ever be that easy again.

    F&F, just as it all eventually came together for those in Foundation who were lost at the beginning, so the same will happen for Intermediate - as long as you put the hours in.
  • messedup89
    messedup89 Registered Posts: 1,281 Beyond epic contributor ๐Ÿง™โ€โ™‚๏ธ
    i went straight in at intermediate and found it in the majority alright. Although in saying that i had done A level accounts before
  • fatandforty
    fatandforty Registered Posts: 553 Epic contributor ๐Ÿ˜
    I guess this identifies the pros and cons of having done Foundation before Intermediate. When I did the course, those who'd done Foundation were more "out-of-the-box" against those who went straight in at Intermediate, as they were already in a learning groove: however, Foundation also gave them a false sense of security as nothing would ever be that easy again.

    F&F, just as it all eventually came together for those in Foundation who were lost at the beginning, so the same will happen for Intermediate - as long as you put the hours in.

    Thanks Blobby, I am definitely putting the hours in! It makes sense when the teacher is explaining it, just having trouble remember anything (and I mean anything!) afterwards. Must admit I feel rather out of my depth.
  • lisalashes
    lisalashes Registered Posts: 2 New contributor ๐Ÿธ
    I'm really struggling with unit 6. I think i'm getting it in class then I come to do a practice paper or sim and just go blank. Too many formulae's to remember, and not long now to exam.
  • LindaF
    LindaF Registered Posts: 13 New contributor ๐Ÿธ
    I'm interested to see that other people are struggling, thought it was just me. I did the Certificate fine, and started off this advanced level fine, passed the FRA in June, and thought I was sailing along great. However, I've just done the OCMC simulation and made such a pig's ear of it that I expect they'll use it in their Christmas Bloopers collection, I was so bad I can't even begin to tell you how incredibly bad I was. They must be thinking What a Complete Idiot. Next stop ECR later this month, not at all looking forward to it now. However, am trying to look at it this way (as my husband keeps telling me to), there isn't a time limit, and it isn't a competition, so I'll just keep trying and hopefully get there in the end!
  • blobbyh
    blobbyh Registered Posts: 2,415 Beyond epic contributor ๐Ÿง™โ€โ™‚๏ธ
    It's what, over a month to exam time again? If you've now done all the chapters in something like ECR, there's still plenty of time to write down all the formulae on flash cards and carry them with you everywhere. There are people on here who may have them from when they did the exam so ask for them! Read them wherever, whenever you can and eventually they'll sink in.

    This is gonna sound harsh but if people continually put something off while moping that they're never gonna learn, then they will run out of time and confidence will be low: you should have both knowledge and self-belief to pass an exam. No-one said that Intermediate and above was easy but you only get out what you're prepared put in, a question each serious student needs to ask themselves.
  • AK002
    AK002 Registered Posts: 2,492 Beyond epic contributor ๐Ÿง™โ€โ™‚๏ธ
    This is gonna sound harsh but if people continually put something off while moping that they're never gonna learn, then they will run out of time and confidence will be low: you should have both knowledge and self-belief to pass an exam. No-one said that Intermediate and above was easy but you only get out what you're prepared put in, a question each serious student needs to ask themselves.

    Sounds like me!

    Although i've today started to remove my finger! Doing 3 hours ATM :).
  • A-Vic
    A-Vic Registered Posts: 6,970 Beyond epic contributor ๐Ÿง™โ€โ™‚๏ธ
    I have to agree with robert learn as much now as it will help the year after a lot more.
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